Collapsible utility table or stand



Jan. 27, 1959 P. STONE 2,871,075

COLLAPSIBLE UTILITY TABLE OR STAND Filed Dec. 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 27, 1959 Filed Dec. 26, 1957 P. STONE COLLAPSIBLE UTILITY TABLE OR STAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

22;, 5am, BY 74 V2 M 2 71,1375 COLLAPSI'BLE UTILITY TABLE R STAND Peter Stone, Chic'ago, 'llll.,assigniir to'i remier Materials Co., Chicago, 111., a corporationof Illinois Application December 26, 1957, Serial No. 705,332 2 Claims. c1. sh et 'This invention relates to an improved collapsible utility table or stand. A

One of the objects of this invention is to 'providea collapsible utility stand or table which may be readily set up and which may be readily collapsed to occupy a minimum of storage or shipping space.

I Another object is to provide a collapsible utility table or stand of the foregoing character which is provided with electrical outlets so that electrical appliances may be connected thereto.

Another object is to provide a structure of the foregoing character which when collapsed occupies a minimum of shipping space, permitting its shipment through the mail thereby reducing the shipping charges and yet when in extended or supporting position provides sturdy support and ample space to accommodate 'a plurality of electrical appliances or the like.

Another object is to provide a structure of the foregoing character which when collapsed may be supported on its legs in an upright position.

Another object is to provide a structure which may be economically produced.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings: c

Fig. 1 is a view showing the utility table or stand in collapsed position.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the table or stand in extended position to support appliances and the like.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the underside of thetable or stand.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of a modified form of leg construction, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on lines 66 of Fig. 5.

The structure shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive will be first described. I

The utility table or stand comprises apair of supporting members generally indicated at 10 and 12. Each of the supporting members is made preferably of tubular metal stock andislgenerally of inverted U shape. Supporting member 10 has a cross member 14 and downwardly extending spaced legs 16 which are formed at right angles to the cross member 14 for the major portion of their length. The lower portion 18 of each of the legs 16 is bent outwardly at an angle. A pair of spaced U-shaped brackets 20 are secured to the underside of the table top 22 by means of screws 23 and said brackets fit around the cross member 14 to secure the supporting member 10 to the table top. The supporting member 10 is pivotally supported by the brackets 20 so that it may be swung out to its supporting position as shown in Fig. 3 or may be moved to a collapsed position against the bottom of the table top 22 as shown in Fig. 2.

The other supporting member 12 includes a cross member 24 and downwardly extending legs 26 formed at right Patented Jan. 27, 1959 anglesto the cross member 24 for the major portion of their length. The lower portion 28 of the legs 26 are bent outwardly at an angle opposite to that of the lower portions of legs 16. The width of cross member 24 of supporting member 12 is less than the width of cross member 14 of supporting member 10 and the 'overall length of legs 26 of supporting member 12 are shorter than the overall length of the legs 16 of supporting member 10 so that supporting member 12 can in eiTect nest within supporting member 10 when collapsing the structure as best shown in Fig. 2.

Supporting member 12 is pivotally secured to supporting member 10 by bolts 30 which extend through suitable openings in the legs 16 and 26. Fastening nuts 31 are secured to the ends of the bolts and spacers or washers 32 are interposed between the legs.

To compensate for the shorter overall length of supporting member 12, there is secured to the underside of the table top 22 a member 34 formed of wood or other suitable material which is inclined at an angle from the underside of the table top. This is best seen in Figs. 3 and 4. Member 34 is secured to the underside of the table top by suitable screws or other fastening means.

Suitably secured to member 34 by screws 35 are a pair of spaced spring clips generally indicated at 36, each of which is formed of a strip of sheet metal having a flat attaching portion 37 through which the screws 35 extend and a pair of continuously curving symmetrically disposed bows 38 which are turned upwardly and inwardly as at 39 thence outwardly as at 40 to provide a recess adapted to detachably receive the cross portion 24 of supporting member 12, when the stand or table is adapted to be supported in its extended position as shown in Fig. 3. When the supporting member 12 is thus secured the table top is firmly supported on a horizontal plane, since the length of the legs 16 and 26 from the pivot point 30 downward is the same for both legs and the shorter overall length of the legs 26 of the supporting member 12 is compensated by the member 34 secured to the underside of the top 22;

Also suitably secured centrally to the underside of the top 22 adjacent the cross portion 14 of supporting member 10 is a spring clip 42 similar in construction to clips 36. Clip 42 is adapted to detachably receive and secure the cross member 24 of supporting member 12 when the stand or table is adapted'to be collapsed as shown in Fig. 2. To collapse the stand" from its extended supporting position shownin Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2, the supporting member 12 is pulled or moved away from the table top so that its cross portion 24 is disengaged from the clips 36 and the supporting member 12 is pivoted to next within the supporting member 10 and both supporting members 10 and 12 are pivoted against the underside of the tabletop so that the cross portion 24 of supporting member 12 is secured to the clip 42. This will detachably lock the supporting members 10 and 12 with respect to the table top as shown in Fig. 2 wherein the table top is positioned parallel to the legs of both supporting members. In this collapsed position the unit may be supported in an upright position on a floor surface or the like, since the lower leg portions 18 and28 are positioned opposite the vertical position of the legs 16 and 26, or same may be packaged for shipment taking up considerably less space than in its extended position. To extend the stand again the supporting member 12 is unlocked from the spring clip 42 and the supporting members are positioned as secured as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be seen that when the stand, is positioned as in Fig. 3, the lower leg portions 18 and 28 are perpendicular to the floor or supporting surface.

Also secured to the underside of the top 22 is an electrical box 44 containing a plurality of electrical outmay be positioned on the table with the plug of the appliance plugged intoany of the outlets 45. Also secured to the underside of the top are a plurality of spaced clips 48 around which the electrical conducting Wire 46 may be wound when desired.

Figs. and 6 show a modified construction in which the legs of the supporting members are collapsible, that is, may be reduced in length when desired such as for shipment or storage. The unit shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is like that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 except that each of the legs of the supporting members are formed in two sections detachably joined together.

The unit shown in Figs. 5 and 6 comprises a table top 22a provided with a supporting member 16a and 12a, with suporting member 12a pivotally secured to supporting member a as at 30a as heretofore described. The supporting member 10a is pivotally secured to brackets a which are secured to the table top similar to that of supporting member 10 and the supporting member 12a is detachably secured to spring clips like clips 36 on the underside of the table top similar to that of supporting member 12 heretofore described. Both supporting members 1011 and 12a support the stand in extended position similar to that shown in Fig. 3 and are adapted to be positioned parallel with the top 22a when the stand is collapsed as shown in Fig. 2. The construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is capable of further collapsing in that the legs of the supporting members 10a and 12a are each formed of two sections, with the lower sections removable. of supporting member 10a is formed of upper tubular leg Sections 52, the open'ends of which fixedly support asplit metal sleeve 54 extending outwardly therefrom. The lower tubular leg sections 56 is adapted to he slipped on to the sleeve 54 and to be detachably secured thereto by a threaded bolt 58 extending through suitably aligned openings 59 and 60 in the lower leg portion 56 and the sleeve 54 respectively and same is securely held by a nut 61 in threaded engagement with the threaded bolt. The lower end 62 of the upper leg section 52 limits the extent to which the lower leg portion 56 can be pushed on the sleeve 54.

The supporting member 12a likewise has upper leg portions 64 and lower leg portions 66 with the upper leg portions having split sleeves 68 engaged by the lower leg sections 66 and detachably secured thereto by a bolt 69 passing through aligned openings similar to that described in connection with supporting member 10a. The

For example, each of the legs lower leg portions 56 and 66 are secured to the upper 4 lower end of the table top. The detachable lower leg sections may be positioned and laid transversely across the bottom of the table top and same may be packed in a carton having the overall dimensions of the table top.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible stand comprising a top, an inverted first U-shaped supporting member pivotally secured to the underside of said top, a second inverted U-shaped supporting member pivotally secured to said first mentioned supporting member and having a width less than said first mentioned supporting member and a length above the pivotal connection less than the corresponding length of said first mentioned member to permit positioning of said second mentioned supporting member within said first mentioned supporting member when said supporting members are positioned in collapsed position parallel with said top, a member rigidly secured to the underside of said top and angularly positioned below the underside of said top, clip means secured to said last mentioned member for detachably securing said second supporting member in extended position to support said top in a horizontal plane, a clip member secured to the underside of said table top adjacent the pivotal connection of said first supporting member to said table top, said second supporting member adapted to be detachably secured to said last mentioned clip member when said second supporting member is nested within said first supporting member when said stand is in collapsed position, the lower portion of each of the legs of said first and second supporting members being bent so that said lower portions are in a vertical plane when the stand is in extended supporting position and are inclined at an angle when said second supporting member is nested within said first supporting member to support said stand in an upright position when collapsed.

2. In a structure defined in claim 1 in which the first and second supporting members are formedof' tubular stock, with the legs of each supporting member formed of an upper section and a lower section whereby said lower section is detachably secured to the upper section so that the overall length of the leg may be reduced.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain May 27, 

